The seven members of the Swiss Federal Council (; ; ; ) constitute the federal government of Switzerland and collectively serve as the country's head of state. Each of the seven Federal Councillors heads a department of the Swiss federal administration..
The current Swiss Federal Councillors are: Guy Parmelin (first elected in 2015), Ignazio Cassis (first elected in 2017), Karin Keller-Sutter (first elected in 2018), Albert Rösti (first elected in 2022), Élisabeth Baume-Schneider (first elected in 2022), Beat Jans (first elected in 2023), and Martin Pfister (first elected in 2025).
The members of the Federal Council are elected for a term of four years by both chambers of the federal parliament sitting together as the United Federal Assembly. Each Federal Councillor is elected individually by secret ballot by an absolute majority of votes. People elected to the Federal Council are considered a Federal Councillor even if they decline the election.This is the prevailing reading of the relevant constitutional provision: . Accordingly, the five persons who were elected but never assumed office are listed in a separate table below. For the same reason, the principal table only records the date of election and not the date on which the Federal Councillors assumed their office.
Once elected for a four-year-term, Federal Councillors can neither be voted out of office by a motion of no confidence nor can they be impeached. Reelection is possible for an indefinite number of terms. The Federal Assembly has decided not to reelect a sitting Federal Councillor four times and only twice (in 2003 and 2007) since the beginning of the 21st century. In practice, therefore, Federal Councillors serve until they decide to resign and retire to private life, usually after three to five terms of office. __NOTOC__ Members No. Name Portrait CantonFor the abbreviations, see Data codes for Switzerland: Cantons. Up until 1987, the Federal Chancellery recorded the Councillors' legal place of origin. From 1987 on, the canton in which the Councillors live has been recorded, or, for councillors who were members of the Federal Assembly, the canton whose population they represented. Election Left office Department headedThe names of the federal departments have changed over the years. Generic names have been used as much as possible. Party PresidencyNotes SeqThe sequence number indicates to which of the seven seats (denoted by the letters A to G) the Councillor was elected. 1 ZH PoliticalAs President of the Confederation. The department used to be held by Councillors during the annually changing office of President of the Confederation. • Justice and Police FDP/PRD 1848–1849185218551858 Died in office. A01 2 BE Military FDP/PRD — Not reelected. B01 3 VD Justice and Police • Political • Finance FDP/PRD 1850 Died in office. C01 4 SO Finance • Political • Posts and Construction • Trade and Customs FDP/PRD 1851 Died in office. D01 5 TI Home Affairs FDP/PRD — Died in office. E01 6 AG Trade and Customs • Political • Military FDP/PRD 18541860 F01 7 SG Posts and Construction • Political • Trade and Customs • Posts • Finance and Customs • Railway and Trade FDP/PRD 1853 G01 8 BE Justice and Police • Political • Finance • Military FDP/PRD 185618591862 B02 9 VD Trade and Customs • Political • Finance • Military FDP/PRD 185718631867 C02 10 LU Finance • Trade and Customs • Justice and Police • Political • Home Affairs FDP/PRD 18611866 Elected after Johann Jakob Stehlin declined the election. D02 11 TI Home Affairs FDP/PRD — E02 12 ZH Justice and Police • Political • Home Affairs • Posts FDP/PRD 186418681870 A02 13 BE Home Affairs • Political • Finance • Railway and Trade FDP/PRD 186518711874187818851893 Died in office. Longest serving member. B03 14 GE Finance • Posts FDP/PRD — Not reelected. E03 15 AG Military • Political • Posts and Telegraph • Justice and Police FDP/PRD 186918721876188018841891 F02 16 VD Finance • Military FDP/PRD — Died in office. C03 17 VD Finance • Military • Political • Justice and Police FDP/PRD 1873 C04 18 ZH Finance • Railway and Trade • Political • Military FDP/PRD 1875 Died in office. A03 19 NE Posts and Telegraph FDP/PRD — E04 20 GL Posts and Telegraph • Political • Railway and Trade FDP/PRD 1877 D03 21 TG Justice and Police FDP/PRD — Died in office(committed suicide). G02 22 SO Finance and Customs • Political FDP/PRD 18791889 E05 23 NE Home Affairs • Trade and Agriculture • Political FDP/PRD 18811887 Elected after Louis Ruchonnet and Charles Estoppey declined the election. C05 24 GR Finance and Customs • Posts and Railways • Political FDP/PRD 1882 D04 25 ZH Military FDP/PRD 1888 Died in office. A04 26 VD Trade and Agriculture • Justice and Police • Political FDP/PRD 18831890 Elected after Karl Hoffmann declined his election. Died in office. G03 27 TG Justice and Police • Posts and Railways • Trade and Agriculture • Political FDP/PRD 1886189719031909 Died in office. D05 28 ZH Military • Finance and Customs • Political FDP/PRD 18921900 Died in office. A05 29 BL Military FDP/PRD 1894 E06 30 LU Posts and Railways • Political CVP/PDC 18951902 F03 31 GE Exterior • Trade, Industry and Agriculture • Home Affairs FDP/PRD 1896 C06 32 VD Justice and Police • Home Affairs • Political • Military FDP/PRD 1898 G04 33 BE Justice and Police • Military • Political FDP/PRD 189919071913 Died in office. B04 34 BS Justice and Police • Political FDP/PRD 19011908 Died in office. E07 35 NE Finance and Customs • Justice and Police • Posts and Railways • Political FDP/PRD 19041910 C07 36 VD Home Affairs • Finance and Customs • Political FDP/PRD 19051911 G05 37 ZH Trade, Industry and Agriculture • Home Affairs • Political • Military • Justice and Police • Posts and Railways FDP/PRD 19061912 A06 38 LU Justice and Police • Trade, Industry and Agriculture • Finance and Customs • Home Affairs CVP/PDC — F04 39 SG Justice and Police • Military • Political FDP/PRD 1914 E08 40 TI Finance and Customs • Political CVP/PDC 19151920192719321937 Died in office. F05 41 NE Posts and Railways • Home Affairs FDP/PRD — C08 42 VD Home Affairs • Justice and Police • Military FDP/PRD 1916 G06 43 AG Trade, Industry and Agriculture FDP/PRD 1917192119281933 D06 44 GR Home Affairs • Political FDP/PRD 1918 C09 45 GE Political • Home Affairs LPS/PLS 1919 E09 46 ZH Posts and Railways FDP/PRD 19221929 A07 47 BE Military FDP/PRD 1923 Died in office. B05 48 VD Home Affairs FDP/PRD 1924 G07 49 FR Finance and Customs CVP/PDC 19251930 E10 50 TG Justice and Police FDP/PRD 19261931 C10 51 VD Home Affairs • Posts and Railways • Political FDP/PRD 19341940 G08 52 BE Military SVP/UDC 1935 B06 53 ZH Home Affairs • Finance and Customs FDP/PRD 1936 A08 54 AR Justice and Police FDP/PRD 1938 C11 55 ZG Home Affairs CVP/PDC 1939194219471953 E11 56 SO Economic Affairs FDP/PRD — D07 57 ZH Finance and Customs FDP/PRD 1941 A09 58 TI Posts and Railways CVP/PDC 19431948 F06 59 SO Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1944 D08 60 BE Justice and Police SVP/UDC 19451951 B07 61 SG Military FDP/PRD 19461952 C12 62 ZH Finance and Customs SPS/PSS 1949 A10 63 NE Political FDP/PRD 195019551960 G09 64 VD Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1954 D09 65 VS Posts and Railways CVP/PDC — F07 66 BE Justice and Police SVP/UDC 1956 B08 67 ZH Finance and Customs SPS/PSS — A11 68 ZH Finance and Customs FDP/PRD 1957 A12 69 SG Economic Affairs CVP/PDC 1958 F08 70 VD Military FDP/PRD 19591962 D10 71 TI Posts and Railways CVP/PDC — C13 72 BE Justice and Police • Economic Affairs • Political SVP/UDC 1961 B09 73 FR Finance and Research CVP/PDC — E12 74 ZH Posts and Railways • Political SPS/PSS 19631968 A13 75 OW Justice and Police CVP/PDC 19641969 F09 76 BS Home Affairs SPS/PSS 19651970 C14 77 AG Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1966 G10 78 VS Finance and Customs • Transport, Energy, Communications CVP/PDC 19671973 E13 79 BE Transport, Energy, Communications • Military SVP/UDC 19711976 B10 80 TI Military • Finance and Customs FDP/PRD 1972 D11 81 NE Political SPS/PSS 1975 A14 82 ZH Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1974 G11 83 SG Justice and Police • Economic Affairs CVP/PDC 197719811985 F10 84 SO Transport, Energy, Communications • Finance SPS/PSS 1978 Died in office. C15 85 ZG Home Affairs CVP/PDC 1979 E14 86 VD Finance and Customs • Military FDP/PRD 1980 D12 87 ZH Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 1982 G12 88 NE Political SPS/PSS 19831987 A15 89 GR Transport, Energy, Communications SVP/UDC 1984 B11 90 LU Home Affairs CVP/PDC 1986 E15 91 ZH Justice and Police FDP/PRD — G13 92 SO Finance SPS/PSS 19881994 C16 93 VD Military • Economic Affairs FDP/PRD 19891996 D13 94 ZH Justice and Police FDP/PRD — First female Federal Councillor. G14 95 AI Justice and Police • Military CVP/PDC 19901997 F11 96 TI Home Affairs • Foreign Affairs CVP/PDC 19911998 E16 97 NE Foreign Affairs SPS/PSS 1992 A16 98 BE Transport, Energy, Communications • Military SVP/UDC 19932000 B12 99 LU Military • Finance FDP/PRD 19952002 G15 100 GE Home Affairs SPS/PSS 1999 Elected after Francis Matthey declined the election. A17 101 ZH Transport, Energy, Communications SPS/PSS 20012006 C17 102 VS Economic Affairs • Home Affairs FDP/PRD 20032008 D14 103 AI Justice and Police CVP/PDC — Not reelected. F12 104 FR Foreign Affairs • Economic Affairs CVP/PDC 2004 E17 105 BE Defence, Civil Protection and Sport SVP/UDC 2005 Switched to the BDP/PBD in 2008. B13 106 GE Foreign Affairs SPS/PSS 20072011 A18 107 ZH Justice and Police SVP/UDC — Not reelected. F13 108 AR Finance FDP/PRD 2009 G16 109 AG Economic Affairs • Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications CVP/PDC 20102017 E18 110 GR Justice and Police • Finance BDP/PBD 2012 First elected for the SVP/UDC, switched in 2008. F14 111 ZH Defence, Civil Protection and Sport • Finance SVP/UDC 20132019 B14 112 NE Home Affairs • Foreign Affairs FDP/PLR 2014 D15 113 BE Justice and Police • Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications SPS/PSS 20152020 C18 114 BE Economic Affairs FDP/PLR 2016 G17 115 FR Home Affairs SPS/PSS 20182023 A19 116 VD Incumbent Defence, Civil Protection and Sport • Economic Affairs, Education and Research SVP/UDC 20212026 F15 117 TI Incumbent Foreign Affairs FDP/PLR 2022 D16 118 VS Defence, Civil Protection and Sport CVP/PDC 2024 The CVP/PDC merged into The Centre in 2021. E19 119 SG Incumbent Justice and Police • Finance FDP/PLR 2025 G18 120 BE Incumbent Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications SVP/UDC – B15 121 JU Incumbent Justice and Police・Home Affairs SPS/PSS – C19 122 BS Incumbent Justice and Police SPS/PSS – A20 123 ZG Incumbent Defence, Civil Protection and Sport Centre – E20
Legend:
In January 2009, it merged with the Liberal Party (LPS/PLS) and became FDP.The Liberals.
; in 2021, it merged into The Centre.
; since January 2009, the party has merged with the Free Democratic Party (FDP/PRD) in order to form FDP.The Liberals.
The Federal Councillors currently serving are indicated with bold type.
Members who declined their election
Five people have declined their election to the Federal Council by the Federal Assembly. Their number here is that of the Federal Councillor in the list above who was later elected in their place.
No. Name Canton Election Party Notes (10) BS FDP/PRD (23) VD FDP/PRD Later elected as the 26th Councillor. (23) VD FDP/PRD (26) SG FDP/PRD (100) NE SPS/PSS
Timeline
Notes and references
External links